Sinner to Face Tien in Indian Wells Quarterfinal

The world No. 2 Italian takes on the American No. 27 seed on Thursday at 1 p.m. local time.

Published on Mar. 12, 2026

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Jannik Sinner, the world No. 2 player, will face off against Learner Tien, the No. 27 seed, in the quarterfinals of the BNP Paribas Open in Indian Wells, California on Thursday at 1 p.m. local time. The two players have met once before, with Sinner winning in straight sets at the 2025 China Open.

Why it matters

This matchup features a top contender in Sinner against an up-and-coming American player in Tien. Sinner is seeking his 26th career title, while Tien is looking to pull off the upset and advance to the semifinals of a prestigious Masters 1000 event.

The details

Sinner, currently ranked No. 2 in the world, has a 10-2 record so far in 2026. He has defeated Dalibor Svrcina, Denis Shapovalov, and Joao Fonseca to reach the quarterfinals in Indian Wells. Tien, ranked No. 27, has a 10-4 record in 2026 and has defeated Adam Walton, Ben Shelton, and Alejandro Davidovich Fokina to set up the matchup with Sinner.

  • The match will take place on Thursday, March 12, 2026 at 1:00 pm local time in Indian Wells, California.

The players

Jannik Sinner

The world No. 2 player from Italy, who has won 25 career titles including 11 on hard courts.

Learner Tien

The American player currently ranked No. 27 in the world, who is making his first career quarterfinal appearance at a Masters 1000 event.

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What’s next

The winner of the Sinner-Tien match will advance to the semifinals of the BNP Paribas Open on Saturday.

The takeaway

This quarterfinal matchup features a clash between one of the top players in the world in Sinner and an up-and-coming American talent in Tien, setting the stage for an intriguing battle at the prestigious Indian Wells tournament.